Oamaru, Moeraki, Dunedin

Kia Ora everyone! Hope everyone is well! Today Beth and I left beautiful Christchurch and journeyed down south to Dunedin. It was an interesting start to the day because Beth and I had to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road! It would have been hilarious to see us shouting back and forth “No! other side of the road! Look the other way! YOU TURNED INTO THE WRONG LANE!” But we finally got the hang of it and went on our way. We first stopped off at a little seaside town called Oamaru and saw our first glimpses of the beautiful ocean. The sea is an amazing Marine blue color that took my breath away. There is also a little blue penguin colony right by the pier, but as the penguins aren’t there until dusk we didn’t get to see them and had to move on. The next place we stopped was the Moeraki boulders. Ancient Maori legend says that these perfectly spherical naturally occurring boulders were created by baskets of food that were dropped into the ocean by ancestors from Polynesia that first discovered the island. It really is a magnificent natural wonder! The boulders are all scattered in a small stretch of beach and they truly are perfectly round! We then continued south to Dunedin, my hometown for the next five months! The city is nestled into the harbor on the innerside of the Otago peninsula, with beautiful views of the bay and just a short walk away from one of the best surfing beaches in New Zealand. The university is just gorgeous sitting right in the heart of the town and a few minutes walk away from the city center the “Octagon”. Beth and I picked up my keys and went to see the flat I would be living. It is awesome! My room is huge fully equipped with a fire place, full bed, sink(!) and two huge windows that look out into a little courtyard with roses and a big tree.  I know I will be very happy there for the next few months and couldn’t ask for a better place to live. Till next time! Cheers